


Home is Where the Heart Is

by widowbitesandhearingaids



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, and this was bouncing around my head the whole time i was watching the movie, i am such a sucker for makeshift family aus, i just want wanda to have a new family okay, so here you go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 14:54:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3941014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/widowbitesandhearingaids/pseuds/widowbitesandhearingaids
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little one-shot that's been pinging around in my head since I saw the movie</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home is Where the Heart Is

When Clint brings a careworn, silent, and grieving Wanda Maximoff home, he thinks Laura is going to kill him. Separation of church and state, that was their agreement when SHIELD helped set up the farm. It’s safer for the kids. They know that he works for the government, but that’s it. Natasha and Fury keep Clint out of the news as much as possible, and besides an archer wouldn’t get much screen-time when there’s Captain America or Thor to film. Personally, Laura prefers her own homegrown superhero.

“She’s got nowhere to go,” Clint whispers in the kitchen while Wanda waits in the living room. She hasn’t spoken since the city came back down to earth. “Her brother died protecting me, Laura, and this, I – ”

“Of course she can stay,” Laura says, cupping Clint’s face in her hands. He manages a weak smile, the guilt feeling like it’s ripping a hole in his chest. It should have been him, not Pietro. It should have been him. God he’s glad it wasn’t him, and that makes it so much worse. Survivor’s guilt is a part of the job and something he’s had to get used to, but it’s never been like this. He’s never had to bring it home with him. Literally.

Laura gives Wanda a quick tour of the house and sets her up in the spare bedroom, and for nearly a week, she doesn’t come out. Clint expected as much, but then a week turns into two, then three, then nearly a month solid. She’s obviously eating; the meals that are set out for her are gone in the morning, but no one has seen her since she came back with them. The children know that there’s someone living in the guest room, but Clint and Laura try to chase them away from the door whenever they can. Still, the kids turn it into a game, but after weeks without a proper response, they grow tired of it and leave her alone. Still, sometimes Clint hears them whispering about the girl who cries in her room, all alone. He doesn’t know what to do. Part of him wants to force her to come out, but Clint knows it’s not his place. Wanda’s mourning, and he’s the reason Pietro is dead. He’s got no right to interrupt her grieving process.

Soon though, his attention is diverted when the kids start to get sick. At first it’s just a bad cold that starts to ping between the children, but soon they’re up all night with fevers. Baby Nathaniel avoids getting sick for almost a week, but when he finally contracts the virus, his case is worse than Callum and Nicole’s combined. Laura calls in the pediatrician, but the doc just says that Nathaniel has to fight it off on his own. Neither Clint nor Laura sleep very much, taking shifts to watch the baby. It’s Clint’s turn to stay up when he hears soft, unfamiliar footsteps behind him. He whirls, instincts guiding his hand to the Bowie knife stashed in his belt.

“I want to help,” Wanda says quietly. Her voice sounds rusty, as if from disuse.

“I don’t know what you can do,” Clint says carefully. Her powers are impressive, but this is just something they just have to wait out. “Callum and Nicole will be fine, but Nathaniel – ”

“Nathaniel Pietro,” Wands says. “You named your son after my brother.”

“I, uh, yeah,” Clint says, trying not to sound so uncomfortable. Pietro saved his life, made it possible for him to come home to his son. It was the right thing to do. “Yeah I did.” He starts to say something else when a soft cry comes from Nicole’s room and Clint rubs his eyes. They’ve been up with nightmares and fever dreams for almost a week now. Between the kids and Clint and Laura staying up to watch Nathaniel, no one has been getting much sleep.

“Thank you. I can feel their nightmares, your little ones’.” Wanda says softly. Clint watches as her eyes glow red and that eerie pink energy collects around her hands. Her fingers twitch and the energy flows away from her, dancing through the air and slipping into his children’s doors. “They will sleep soundly tonight.”

“Wow, thanks,” Clint says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Wanda, ah – ”

“Please, don’t.” Wanda says, holding up a hand. “My brother’s decision was his own, and I do not blame you. But it…” she trails off and takes a moment to compose herself. “It still feels like half of me is missing.” She inhales deeply through her nose. “I would not mind looking after Nathaniel Pietro, if you need some sleep. I will make sure that he heals. He’s strong.”

“You sure?” Clint asks, a little wary to be leaving his son under her watch.

“He will be safe with me I swear on his namesake.” Her voice cracks a little, but Clint can’t hear the ring of a lie, so he shrugs, thanks her, and heads off to bed.

Wanda is as good as her word. Callum and Nicole wake up better rested than they have been in weeks, and Nathaniel quickly beats back the virus.

“Go,” Clint says to Callum and Nicole, nodding them towards the door. Wanda disappeared again as soon as it was clear that the kids weren’t going to get sick again. Tentatively and holding tight to Nicole’s hand, Callum knocks on Wanda’s door before they poke their heads inside. It’s not locked for once.

“Miss Maximoff?” Callum says, tripping over her last name. “Um, Nicole and me wanted to say thank you. Daddy said you helped us get better.”

“You’re welcome,” Wanda says. “I’m glad I could help.” Callum nods, and he and his sister make it halfway out the door before Nicole breaks away from him and turns back to Wanda.

“Want to color with me? Mommy got me some new books. You can have the superhero one if you want!” Wanda doesn’t answer for a long time before she smiles.

“I would like that.”

After that, Wanda comes out more often and even starts taking meals with them, though she eats little and says less. Still, the children are enchanted with their new housemate, especially when she agrees to put on “magic shows” for them, telekinetically making their toys dance or giving them good dreams. It becomes commonplace for Clint and Laura to come into the house to find Wanda playing with Callum or coloring with Nicole, while bouncing Nathaniel on her knee. Clint gets so used to seeing Wanda’s energy floating around the house that he starts to see red wherever he goes.

One night, Wanda even offers to babysit while the other two are at sleepovers and Clint and Laura need a much-anticipated night out.

“Nathaniel Pietro will be safe with me,” Wanda promises, like she promised the first night she surfaced. Wanda always uses Nathaniel’s full name, even though her voice cracks every time. After that, Wanda stays home with the kids nearly every other week so Clint and Laura can spend time together.

And somehow, some way, the woman who used to cry alone in her room is affectionately renamed Auntie Wanda.

Natasha’s only a tiny bit jealous.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, kudos are amazing but my heart belong to reviews!
> 
> I'm on tumblr! widowbitesandhearingaids.tumblr.com


End file.
